Internal Quality Assurance of Educational Institutions under the Office of Buriram Primary Educational Service Area 4

Abstract

Background and Aims: Internal quality assurance in educational institutions is a crucial process for the continuous development of educational management quality. The Buriram Primary Educational Service Area Office 4 emphasizes implementing a quality assurance system to effectively raise the educational standards in the area. Educational quality assurance serves as an essential mechanism for indicating the efficiency and effectiveness of teachers and school personnel, enabling them to operate systematically. This research aims to study and compare the levels of opinions of administrators and teachers regarding internal quality assurance in schools under the Buriram Primary Educational Service Area Office 4, categorized by position, department, and school size. Additionally, it aims to explore guidelines for promoting internal quality assurance in schools under the same office, also categorized by position, department, and institutional size.

Methodology: The sample group used in this research consisted of 334 administrators and teachers from educational institutions under the Office of Buriram Primary Educational Service Area 4. The sample was determined using stratified random sampling. The research instruments included a five-point Likert scale questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. The Item-Objective Congruence (IOC) values ranged between 0.80 and 1.00, and the reliability coefficient was 0.81. The statistical methods used for data analysis included frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-test, F-test, and pairwise comparison using Scheffé's method.

Results: The research findings revealed that: 1. Overall, the internal quality assurance of educational institutions was at a high level (\bar{x}= 4.26; S.D.= 0.52). When considered by individual aspects, all aspects were also at a high level. 2. When categorized by position, the overall internal quality assurance of educational institutions showed statistically significant differences at the .05 level. Differences were also found in specific aspects: the establishment of educational standards, the development of educational management plans focusing on quality according to educational standards, and the preparation of self-assessment reports. 3. When categorized by department, there were no significant differences in the overall or individual aspects of internal quality assurance. 4. When categorized by school size, there were statistically significant differences at the .05 level in both overall and individual aspects of internal quality assurance. And 5. Guidelines for promoting internal quality assurance of educational institutions under the Office of Buriram Primary Educational Service Area 4 indicated that school administrators should take the lead in enhancing educational quality by fostering understanding and implementing standards appropriate to the school's context, encouraging participation from teachers, staff, and the community in developing plans that align with local needs, utilizing data from internal evaluations to revise plans, and promoting the involvement of personnel in quality assurance activities.

Conclusion: School administrators act as leaders in quality assurance by establishing standards appropriate to the school’s context and promoting the participation of teachers, staff, and the community in developing action plans. Internal evaluation data are utilized to continuously improve operational plans, and personnel are encouraged to participate in the monitoring and development of educational quality.